Wheel support and carrier attachment for transporting boats



Oct. 11, 1949.

M. E. IORNS 2,484,346 WHEEL SUPPORT AND CARRIER ATTACHMENT FOR TRANSPORTING BOATS e, 1947 Filed Sept.

HTTOR'NEX T Patented Oct. 11, 1949 WHEEL SUPPORT AND CARRIER ATTACH- MENT FOR TRAN SPORTING BOATS Martin E. Iorns, Los Angeles, Calif;

Application September 6, 1947, Serial No. 772,548

1 Claim.

The primary object ,of my invention is the provision of a detachable and wheeled supporting means for attachment to the body'of any object it is necessary or desired to convey from one place to another, and to which the invention may readily be attached.

To better illustrate this, the drawing shows the invention attached to the stern of a boat, whereby the latter, and for which purpose my invention is exceptionally and ideally suited, is readily conveyed from one place to another when either hitched at its bow to a vehicle, or otherwise there uplifted so that it may readily be moved about.

It is thus a principal object of my invention to provide a means whereby the object to which the device is attached may readily be adapted to trail behind the towing means to which it is attached.

A further object of the herein invention is to provide a device which for the purpose of conveying a boat, may readily be sustituted for the standard boat cradle and trailer means commonly employed, and thereby completely eliminate the danger of chafing and abrasion of the boat hull, quite common in the use of trailers as a conveying means.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device which may readily be handled by one person provided the object to be conveyed is within the lifting power of that person.

A further object of my invention is to provide a carrier device possessing individual wheel suspension, and whereby road shock to the object carried is materially reduced if not entirely eliminated.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of said characteristics which when in attachment to the stern of a boat', for example, may be left thereon as the latter is placed into the water, and from which the wheels may easily and quickly be removed, if desired, as soon as the boat is afloat, and to which they may as readily be re-attached in the water when it is desired to beach the boat.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a carrier device which may be carried in a boat when afloat without taking up any appreciable room, and if the boat be equipped with an outboard motor, the latter may be left in place tilted up when the boat is maneuvered about in its placement or removal from the water.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a carrier device that is directly atiached to the body of the object to be moved in detachable relation thereto, and whereby the object travels with free motion, without sway, and backing and parking thereof is possible with ease and safety.

And a still furtherobject of my invention is the provision of a device that may easily and quickly be attached to th object to be conveyed and in less time than it would take to load it on a, vehicle, boat trailer, for example, and whereby the object itself may be used as a trailer for carrying both people and merchandise, at will.

I attain these objects by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l isa rear or stern view of a boat showing my wheeled support and carrier attached;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side view of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a rear view of one of a pair of identical wheel supports shown in Fig. 1, but on an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is a side view of Fig. 3 with parts thereof broken away taken on the line IVIV of said figure, and

Figure 5 is a transverse section of Fig. 3 taken on the line V-V of said figure.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, the device consisting essentially of a pair of frames, each having a wheel attached, and wherein the numeral I represents the wheels, 2 is a headed bolt therethrough functioning as an axle, a nut 3 affixed at its threaded end, and a cotter pin 4 extended therethrough comprising one means for securing the wheel to the frame.

Eyes 6 formed from the ends of leaf spring arms I surround bushings 8 which serve as bearing members for the bolts 2, and clips or brackets of an inverted U-shape are suitably secured as by bolts II to the transom I 2 of a boat iii.

A clamping bar l4 bears against the springs I and upon tightening of a bolt 15 centrally positioned therein even pressure is exerted against said springs 1 whereby they are held in secured relation to the clips 9. Said bolt I5 has a nut l1 affixed at its threaded end, and washers [8 are positioned adjacent the bolt head l6 of said bolt l5 and said bolt nut 11.

In use, the clips 9 are attached to the object to be moved. If a boat, they could and undoubtedly would be left permanently in place. The spring members I are inserted within the clips 9 which actually serve as mounting plates for said springs I. The bolts II which secure the clips 9 to the structure further serve to hold the springs l in place against side sway.

As the Wei ht of the object, the stern of the r affords, canteen 3 boat as illustrated, rests on the ends of the springs l at the immediate U-shaped portion of the clips 9, the springs I cannot ply loose and disengage from the latter, notwithstanding that the springs 1 are normally loose fit. Be that as it may, to assure against excessive vibration when traveling over rough and otherwise rock strewn or cut-up road surfaces, and thus assure against the possibility of jdislodg' mentfitlie pressure olamp I 4 is provided. It simultaneously exerts a constant even pressure against the springs and holds them in secured relation withinthe ll-shaped clips 9. Tightening the bolt 'IFfunctlohS tObiing that about. Loosening the lattrfe'adily permits removal of the springs 1 at will-together-with the accompanying wheels. I n I v As long as the wheels arebearing the w'ei ghfi of the load, the springs even if the pressure-clamps M were accidently brok' 'en would retain their posifi l fi l fi l fie k The entire device weighs considerably less than t sew It i dily produced from materials the open market actured at a moderate cost,

i qis imgie'ed h i y'fii en in I am aware that 4, gl t modifications may from time to inie beinade in the details of structure illustrated twithout'depfa'rti nlg,however, from the entio n, and as defined in s i fi f hefhl m i'he clairn ap nded' hereto. Hence, I do "not limit myinve'ntion to the exact description or embodiment of structure herein disclosed, but what I do claim is:

In a wheeled support and carrier for a boat, a pair of brackets having portions of an inverted U-shape, fastenings for securing said brackets to the stern of a boat, a pair of leaf spring arms each having one end thereof removably mounted in said U-shaped portionsof-said brackets and held {against lateraltlisplacmnt-by means of said fastenings, an axle supported by and between the other ends of said arms, a wheel supported on said axle, means for clamping said arms in f-salid-braclits including a bar having each of "its ends overlying and bearing respectively againsteachof said arms beneath said U-shaped portions, and means for adjustably securing said bar tb*the stern ofsaid boat for detachably removing said wheeled support from said brackets.

MARTIN E. IORNS.

REFERENCES l CITED lh e following references are "of rcdrddnthe file 'of thispatent:

UNITED sT'ATEs PATENTS 

